Carrick benches Bruno Fernandes for Bournemouth clash, calls it 'pure football'

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes will start on the bench for Sunday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, with head coach Michael Carrick insisting the call was about football and not a punishment.

It is the first time this season the 32-year-old Portugal midfielder has been left out of a Premier League starting line-up. According to The Athletic, Carrick made the decision as he tries to turn around the team's form.

Fernandes had questioned United's approach after their 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como in Italy, saying the decision not to press aggressively let the Italian side grow in confidence. Carrick later apologised to the roughly 700 United fans who travelled to watch that game.

Carrick: 'Always a difficult decision'

Speaking to Sky Sports, Carrick rejected the idea that Fernandes was dropped over his public comments. "Picking the team is always a difficult decision," he said. "We've got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get the performance we want."

Asked on Friday whether he would take the captaincy off Fernandes, Carrick said he would always do what is best for the club and did not think it was the time to go into detail.

Goalkeeper Senne Lammens told Sky Sports that the squad, staff and front office are all behind the coach. He said players can say things in frustration after a game that they do not fully mean.

Carrick made four changes to his starting line-up. Matheus Cunha, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui also dropped out, with Ayden Heaven, Leny Yoro, Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo coming in. Lisandro Martínez, who had questioned whether the board did enough in the transfer window, was named among the substitutes.

United went into the game with seven points from their opening seven league matches and without a win in seven games in all competitions, leaving Carrick under pressure. Fernandes was outstanding last season, setting a Premier League record with 21 assists as United finished third, and he scored a hat-trick against Ipswich in August. He has four goals in 11 appearances across all competitions this season.

The last time he started a game on the bench was on May 4, 2025, in a 4-3 defeat at Brentford.

What happens next

A strong result against Bournemouth would ease some of the pressure on Carrick. Anything less will keep questions about his future and about Fernandes' role at the club going.